Artificial teeth.



F. H. NIES & J.-F. CARETTO.

ARTIFICIAL TEETH.

APPLICATION FILED APR, I. 1914.

1 1 37,0 1 5 Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

INVENTOR3 WITNESSE S; M g. yaw/1 p, f By Attorneys,

W XML/7% UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK H. NIES AND JOHN F. CARETTO, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ARTIFICIAL TEETH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 1, 1914. Serial No. 828,751.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, FREDERICK H. NIES and JOHN F. CARET'ro, citizens of the United States of America, and both residing in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Teeth, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to artificial den'-' such contractions the plate is not carried down to the inner side of the tooth to any extent, but the connection is formed by vulcanizing the tooth to the gum ridge. It is usual to provide a pin extending from the basal portion of the tooth which projects into the plate. This form of artificial tooth has certain advantages over the usual. form which have rendered its use successful, but because of the fact that the plate is not extendeddown to the sides of the teeth, the connection with the plate is an insecure one. As the plate contacts with the tooth substantially only at the basal portion of the tooth, a great leverage is exerted against the plate in use, with the result that frequently the pin of the tooth is broken off or torn out carrying the vulcanite between the tooth and pin head with it, and splits the plate, and the tooth becomes detached.

According to the present invention we provide a much stronger connection between the teeth and the plate without modifying or destroying the useful character of this shape of tooth. To this end we distribute the strain upon the plate over a much wider area than is possible with the ordinary pins now employed, and preferably the construction is such that the strain on a particular tooth is to a large extent distributedover' the entire plate. In thepreferred form of the invention we construct an anchor in the form of a metallic wire or bar which connects all of the teeth together and which is itself embedded in the gum ridge of the plate.

Various other features of invention are provided which will be hereinafter more clearly described.

Referring to the drawings,-Figure 1 is a top or plan view of a set of teeth, embodying the preferred form of the invention, the teeth being embedded in a mold, and the anchorage bar in place prior to the application 0 the vulcanite. Fig. 2 is a detailed sectional view taken from front to rear of a single tooth. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of several teeth, taken at right angles to Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a modification.

Referring first to Fig. 1, let A indicate an artificial tooth which it will be observed is constructed with a wide base and is generally bulbous in form. The tooth is embedded in the gum rid e B,but the'latter instead of being continue down to nearly the edge of the tooth, as is customary with ordinary teeth, extends only a short distance and ter-' minates at the basal portion as shown. It is customary to provide the tooth with a socket or recess G into which a pin is usually cemented, the pin being commonly headed and extending upward into the plate B. A larger recess D is also formed near the top of the tooth into which the vulcanite'flows, and to a certain extent locks thetooth in place. The pins heretofore used have been separate members, so that each tooth is held independently ,of the others; When the teeth are used, however, the tilting strain has heretofore been sufiicient in many cases to break the pin out of the plate. According to the present invention we provide means for distributing the strain throughout a large portion of the denture, and prefer ably throughout its entirety.

In the preferred form of the device We construct the pins E with an eye or loop F, and in this construction the ,pin may well take the form of an ordinary cotter in.

Patented Apr. 27, 1915. K

The/shank of the pin is cemented, or 0t erwise fixedly secured in the recess C of the tooth, as best seen in Fig. 2. Through the eyes of the series of pins is then threaded an anchorage bar or strip G which in the case of the complete denture will prefer; ably extend entirely around the gum ridge. Fig. 1 shows a plan view of the series of teeth threaded together. The vulcanite is then applied and the heads F of the pins and the entire anchorage bar G are embedded in the plate. Usually the teeth are arranged in a mold, the bottom part of which is illustrated in Fig. 1, the vulcanite applied, and the top of the mold pressed down upon it and the whole then placed in a vulcanizing boiler in the usual way. By this construction the strain on any particular tooth is distributed over a considerable section of the plate. It is, therefore, practically impossible to dislodge any of the pins from the plate, so that breakage of the plate and detachment of the teeth is rendered extremely unlikely. While it is desirable that the anchorage bar shall extend entirely around the late, or such portion thereof as is used or the attachment of teeth, nevertheless this is not strictly essential since the bar may be shortened to include a group of two or more teeth if desired.

\Vhile we prefer to use the looped or eyeleted pin illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, other forms of pin may be used, provided there is a mechanical connection between them and the anchorage bar. In Fig. 4: we have illustrated an ordinary flat-headed pin E, the anchorage bar G being soldered to the head F of the pin.

The invention is applicable, of course, to other constructions than complete dentures, and also to other work where it is desired to hold a tooth in a vulcanite or other plate. The denture provided by the present invention is extremely strong and rigid and I involves very little expense and no appreciable increase of labor; in construction. It has also a marked advantage in that if there is any breakage or detachment in use,

it will be of the tooth itself, leaving the pin intact., This very much simplifies the repair operation, since it is only necessary to insert a new tooth in the plate.

While we have shown in detail several forms of the invention, it will be understood that We do not wish to be limited thereto, since various changes may be made therein ing a gum ridge of molded material of a plurality of artificial teeth contacting with and supported by the molded material, each.

of said teeth having a member extending into said molded material, and an anchoring means embedded in and supported by said molded material, said anchoring means connected to the members of said plurality of teeth.

2. The combination with a dental plate of a plurality of artificial teeth, each of said teeth having a pin projecting from its basal portion, and an anchorage bar connected to the pins of said teeth and embedded in said plate.

3. The combination with a dental plate of a plurality of artificial teeth, each of said teeth having a pin projecting from its basal portion, said pins having loops or eyes, and an anchorage bar passing through said loops or eyes and embedded in said plate.-

4. An artificial denture comprising a dental plate of molded material, a series of artificial teeth of bulbous form, making contact with said plate chiefly at the basal portions of the teeth, an anchorage bar embedded in and supported by the plate, and pins projecting from the basal portions of the teeth and connected with said anchorage bar.

5. A dental plate having a gum ridge of vulcanite, a plurality of artificialteeth set in said gum ridge, and an anchoring means embedded in and supported by said vulcanite, said anchoring means connected with a plurality of such artificial teeth.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto signed our names in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK H. NIES. JOHN F. CARETTO.

Witnesses:

W. F. HARRISON, W. A. CONKLIN. 

